Knockdown marble railway toy



g 25, 1964 E. M. GROSSER 3,145,501

KNQCKDOWN MARBLE RAILWAY TOY Filed June 7, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. ion/4:0 M01704 6:01:54

United States Patent 3,145,591 KNGCKDOWN MARBLE RAILWAY TQY EdwardMorton Grosser, 2038 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park, Calif. Filed June 7,1961, Ser. No. 115,595 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-17) My invention relates to toysespecially designed for,

use by children in the three year to ten year age group and is concernedwith a relatively simple, multi-part toy employin a marble to roll froma high point to a low point and arranged so that children in thisparticular age group can readily assemble and disassemble the parts ofthe railway toy in order to provide numerous interesting configurationsvariable in plan and in elevation.

It is an object of my invention to provide a railway toy for childrenthat can quite easily be arranged in various different horizontal andvertical patterns by the children themselves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway toy having partsto be easily put together and taken apart without any substantial dangerof injury to the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railway toy susceptibleto connection in various dilierent configurations generally indicativeof the basic functioning of a real railway.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail way toy that caneasily and economically be manufactured.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a railway toy inwhich the parts are readily stacked or stored.

A further object of the invention is in general to provide an improvedtoy.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodimentof the invention described in the accompanying description andillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan of a portion of the marble railway toy set up in oneform with various units made pursuant to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of another portion of marble railway toyset up with the various units fabricated pursuant to the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view showing in isometric perspective parts of apair of adjacent sections in disassembled form and with a connectordisassembled from but in correct position relative thereto;

FIGURE 4 is an isometric perspective showing a support, a portion beingbroken away to reduce the size of the figure;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan of a pair of adjacent sections of therailway, portions of the individual sections being omitted to reduce thesize of the figure;

FIGURE 6 is a cross section, the plane of which is indicated by the line6-5 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross section showing a detail of the support, the planeof section being vertical and on a median plane.

The marble railway toy pursuant to the invention can be incorporated ina number of diiierent Ways and with a number of different units allhaving a common functional interrelationship.

The toy is intended primarily to be useful in connection with one ormore marbles, used to refer to balls or spheres of any suitablematerial. A representative marble 6 is not to exceed a predetermineddiameter and is initially received at a high point of a succession ofstraight sections 7 or special sections such as switch members 8 andcollector boxes 9 connected together in such a way as to afford any oneof numerous difierent configurations. The various sections, especaillythe sections 7, can be dif- "ice ferently interconnected in elevationand for that purpose there are provided supports 11.

Each of the sections 7 (as well as the sections 8 and 9) is preferablycomprised of a block of appropriate material such as hardwood orrelatively stiif plastic. A representative section is flat on the bottom13, has a pair of parallel sides 14 and 15 and has a generally planartop 17 interrupted by a longitudinally extending groove 18. The grooveis open ended and extends symmetrically throughout the length of thesection and is approximately semicircular in contour slightly largerthan the marble 6 so as to receive the marble with a small clearance.Thus the marble can readily roll from one end to the other of the groove18.

Each of the sections 7 is provided at both ends with recesses or sockets19 and 21. These are substantially identical so that a description ofone applies equally to the other. Beneath and spaced from the bottomportion of the groove 18 the material of the section is removed toafford an enlarged chamber 23 of approximately circular cylindrical,longitudinal cross section. The chamber extends transversely for themajor part of the distance between the sides 14 and 15 of the sectionand terminates in hemispherical ends. The chamber 23 is in communicationwith the exterior through a relatively small aperture 24 having curvedends and parallel sides, the elongated aperture being substantiallysymmetrically disposed within the end of the block or section andmerging smoothly with the chamber 23.

Designed to interengage with successive ones of the sections 7 is a link26. This conveniently is fabricated of a semirigid but readilydeformable material such as rubber, nylon or high density polyethyleneand is dumbbell shaped in side elevation and of a comparable shape inplan. The link includes a first enlarged portion 27 of substantially thesame configuration and size as the enlarged chamber 23 and a secondenlarged portion 28 likewise of substantially the same size andconfiguration as the enlarged chamber 23. Interconnecting the twoportions 27 and 28 with smooth contours is an intermediate reducedportion 29 having approximately the configuration and size of thereduced aperture 24. The link is symmetrical except that the enlargedportion 28 is interrupted to provide a notch 31. The notch 31 has a pairof walls 32 and 33 converging and meeting in the reduced portion 2h.When the ends of the enlarged portion 28 are squeezed toward each otherthe walls 32 and 33 are approached so that the over-all transversedimension is greatly diminished.

In use, the link is deformed sufiiciently so that the first enlargement27 is distorted and forced through the relatively small aperture 24. Itresumes its enlarged shape again to occupy substantially all of thespace within the enlarged chamber 23. This portion of the device can bemade a relatively tight fit so that once assembled the link normallyremains in position in the associated block, although it can of coursebe removed by the exertion of sufiicient force. When the link has beenretained with its first enlarged portion 27 within one end of the block,the other enlarged portion 28 is pinched as above described. Thedeformed portion 28 is introduced into the socket 21 in an adjacentblock Within which the por tion 28 resumes its former shape so that thesections are then connected in longitudinal alignment. There is a slightdistance between the successive sections. In addition, the end surfaceof each is given a curved contour, particularly as shown in FIGURE 6, sothat one block can readily be inclined with respect to its neighbor ineither direction. It is also possible to tilt or bank one section withrespect to its neighbor so that superelevation can be simulated. Areasonably strong pull separates adjacent sections, as the portion 28 iscammed into collapsed posi- 3 tion and passes readily through itsaperture 24 after which it expands to its unstressed shape.

In addition to the means for connection a succession of sectionstogether as described, means are provided for elevatingindividualsections. For that reason each section on its bottom surface 13 isinterrupted by an opening 41 comparable to the aperture 24. The opening41 leads into an enlarged chamber 42 or socket comparable to the chamber23. A link such as the link 26 can be installed in the chamber 42.

T support a link for that purpose, there is provided a base 43 fromwhich an upright 44 extends. The upright at its upper end is providedwith a cross channel 46 having substantially the same cross sectionalconfiguration as do the various enlarged chambers 23. If desired, theends of the cross channel can be closed, as before, but it is preferredto leave them open.

The height of the upright 44 is as desired and in fact a plurality ofsuch uprights can be built vertically, one upon the other, with the sametechnique used in connecting the generally horizontal sections such as7, except that the upright ends are flat and close rather than curvedand spaced. The link at its upper end is fastened into an appropriatechamber 42 or socket, the link itself flexing slightly if the superposedsection 7 is supported at an inclination. In some cases the topmostsurface 48 of the upright 44 is rounded or curved. With thisarrangement, particularly as shown in FIGURE 2, a sequence of sectionscan be supported on uprights of dilferent heights and so can' bearranged at various different elevations.

If the flexible links need not be used as part of the support, thesections can be provided with simple or slightly conical dowel recesses57 and ordinary dowels 58 can be arranged vertically on appropriatebases 59 to engage the'walls of the recesses either at right angles tothe sections or at other angles thereto to support the sections at anelevated level or at various'inclinations.

If desired, one of the sections 8 can provide a switch by having notonly a straightaway groove 51 but also an intersecting curved groove 52.A switch point 53 is mounted on a pivot 54 so that it can be disposed ineither location, the groove being locally flattened for that purpose. Anend or terminal block 9 simply has a circular area 56 with a tangententrance so that the marbles can lose their velocity and be storedtherein. In accordance with this invention, therefore, there has beenprovided an improved marble railway toy well suited for use by childrenof the three to ten year age group.

What is claimed is:

A knockdown marble railway toy comprising a pair of elongated, rigidblocks having curved ends, having substantially continuous, alignablegrooves extending longitudinally in the upper face thereof and adjacentto but spaced from the curved ends thereof having transverselyextending, cylindrical chambers substantially circular in longitudinalcross section and closed at the transversely opposite ends thereof, saidblocks also having apertures of lesser height than said chambers andoflesser transverse length than said chambers establishing communicationbetween said chambers and said curved ends;.and

a yieldable connector dumbbell-shaped in side elevation anddumbbell-shaped in plan disposed substantially to fill said chambers,said connector having a pair of transversely extending cylindricalmembers substantially circular in longitudinal cross section connectedby a reduced portion'of a transverse cross section and lengthsubstantially to fill both of said apertures when said blocks aredisposed with said curved ends substantially in abutment, at least oneof said cylindrical members having a longitudinally extending notchtherein closable by transverse approaching movement of the two parts ofsaid member on either side of said notch.

References Cited in the file of-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS409,744 Garben Aug. 27, 1889 817,871 Pickles Apr. 17, 1906 1,619,298Hornby Mar. 1, 1927' 2,060,808 Williams May 7, 1935 2,106,148 KellnerJan. 18,- 1938 2,266,464 Kraft Dec. 16,- 1941 2,388,297 Slaughter Nov.6, 1945 2,806,322 Ford Sept. 17, 1957 2,885,822 Onanian lvlay 12, 19592,927,396 Hall Mar, 8, 1960 3,032,919 Amsler May 8, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS51,481 Germany Apr. 9, 1890- 156,387 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1921 563,992Canada Sept. 30, 1958

